The opportunity of a lifetime. That’s the kind of day that Emily Hoepfner, MSN, RN, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital, lived recently as she was among several employers of Wisconsin National Guard airmen who participated in the Wisconsin Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and The 128th Air Refueling Wing “Boss Lift” in Milwaukee.

Hoepfner oversees several patient care departments at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital including Wound Care services which employs Jessica Yogerst Sullivan, APNP, MSN, MBA, a nurse practitioner.

Sullivan has served in the United States Air Force for more than 31 years. She was recently selected for the position of commander for the 115th Medical Group and promoted to the rank of colonel. As the medical group commander, she is responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of 90 active-guard and traditional guard medical professionals.

The purpose of the Boss Lift program is to show appreciation for civilian employers of Wisconsin National Guard members, while also helping to educate those employers about the service, sacrifice, and professionalism of their service member employees, all of whom may be called upon at any time to assist with federal and state missions.

“This was a once in a lifetime experience,” according to Hoepfner. “I value Jessica and all or our SSM Health team members that serve our country. The ESGR provided an informative and exciting day that reinforced the importance of supporting our team members that belong to our reserve forces.”

During the day-long event, Hoepfner participated in a safety and mission briefing, before embarking on a two- to three-hour mission to conduct an in-flight refueling of one US military aircraft. She was able to learn about the Wisconsin Air National Guard and its crucial role in our nation’s defense mission and why employer support is critical to the success of our reserve forces.

Traditional drill-status Guard members who work full time for civilian employers were asked or required multiple times to immediately step away from their civilian jobs and careers to support their communities with little notice and unknown durations. In addition to domestic mobilizations, hundreds of Guardsmen were deployed overseas last year.

The National Guard relies on strong support from families, communities, and employers to stay ready for these missions. Thankfully, many civilian employers remained flexible and are understanding of the responsibilities that their soldier or airmen carry for the greater good. These soldiers and airmen in turn can nominate their employer or supervisor to participate in one of the Boss Lift events or for an annual awards program.

“While leaving my home and loved ones for months on end is hard enough, it is reassuring to both myself and my family knowing that I have the support of SSM Health and my job waiting for me when I come back from deployments and annual trainings,” Sullivan says.

Better understanding and cooperation overall is Employer Support of The Guard and Reserve’s (ESGR) goal in facilitating Boss Lifts. The ESGR is a Department of Defense awareness program that promotes understanding between National Guard and Reserve service members and their civilian employers. The ESGR program encourages employers to come witness firsthand what their employees achieve while on military duty.

Not only is civilian employer support important for the well-being of the soldier or airmen they employ, but it’s also important for Wisconsin’s emergency readiness and the country’s military readiness as a whole. Supportive employers are one of the critical elements of ensuring service members are ready, and ultimately the National Guard is ready, for any state or national emergency.